Wolverine Digest

J.J. McCarthy shares experience with ADHD, battle to overcome challenges

J.J. McCarthy shares intimate details on his battle with ADHD; advocates for understanding and overcoming challenges.
Jerred Johnson|
Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9)
Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Former Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy has never been shy about discussing mental health. He's been a vocal advocate for the benefits of meditation, openly, to center himself before games. There are thousands of pictures of McCarthy sitting at the base of a goalposts for his pregame ritual with his eyes closed, headphones on, and using that time to calm his mind before stepping onto the field.

This week he discussed how his diagnosis of ADHD affected him and how being competitive has assisted him in overcoming some of the side effects of that diagnosis. Here is what McCarthy had to say about dealing with ADHD as an NFL quarterback in an interview with Rich Eisen.

" I feel like ADHD has gotten a bad rap. There's a lot of different things coming out in the medical world that I have no right to speak on, but a lot of people could do the research for themselves and realize that it is somewhat of a superpower. You look at hyper-focus and all the benefits of that when you actually love something, you're actually passionate about it, you lock in so much more intensely. The downside of ADHD is obviously the attention deficit and just being able to concentrate on going to the fridge, getting a water. That's it, nothing else. You don't have to go finish that, you don't have to go start that, you don't have to remind to call him back. Just do that"
Minnesota Vikings QB1 JJ McCarthy

McCarthy looks fully healed from a knee injury suffered during his rookie campaign. Recent reports indicate he is now firmly entrenched as QB1 in Minnesota and the anticipation of what he can do with the elite offensive weapons surrounding him is growing. McCarthy has overcome obstacles at every level of his career, and the belief is that he'll continue to do that as part of the Minnesota Vikings organization.

JJ
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

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Jerred Johnson
JERRED JOHNSON

Jerred Johnson has served in the United States military for over 23 years. He has a Bachelors in Marketing, a Masters in Management and is in the final phases of completing his Doctorate in Business Administration.

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